Review: Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel SPOILERS!

Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel by British author Jonathan Morris, is about a man who is sent back in time to try and save the one he loves but runs afoul of the Doctor, his companions Amy and Rory Pond, and a race of deadly assassins known as the Weeping Angels. In 2003, Rebecca Witaker died in a road accident. her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: "You can save her." As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it's up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using history itself as a weapon. It's a thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the [Eleventh] Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

The novel does exactly what its synopsis says. But in the course of the novel, the Weeping Angels are using the technique that was seen in the Series 5 episode The Time of Angels: five Weeping Angels are trapped in a surveillance system and are stalking Mark on TVs. The Doctor, Amy and Rory warn him not to move or blink but Mark doesn't listen and tries to make a run for his house. A sixth Weeping Angel wastes the last of its life to send Mark to the past with a letter of instructions for him to do. As it happens, the letter is [supposedly] written by Mark's future self. The Doctor and his companions intercept him and, through the years, keep an eye on Mark as he relives the years leading up to 2011. They prevent him from interfering with the past except at key moments in his life that his future self said needed to be completed. He watches his younger self marry Rebecca, a young woman whom he was fond of and so was she. They never followed on this feelings until they broke up with their ex's and went for it (not quite how it happened, but I am summarizing).

After years of following the rules and bending a few, with the consternation of the Doctor, Mark comes face to face with himself. Specifically, his younger self seeks him out and demands answers. This causes time to burp and the Doctor, Amy and Rory appear, as well as an older version of Rory, try to contain things. Mark becomes distraught because he needs to save Rebecca from her death. The Doctor tells him no, but Mark tries. The Angels attack and send the younger Rory into the past. Now all caught up, Mark drives a truck over a spot in the field where the zapped-back-in-time-Rory had placed a button to activate lights and a camera and TV set. Five of the Weeping Angels are caught on tape and become trapped in a quantum lock because they are all looking at each other and, since they're stone, they'll never blink. The Doctor takes Mark back in time once and has him talk to a young college freshman named Rebecca who tells him that he should let go and move on, cause if it was her he was mopping over, she'd want him to live his life. The Doctor drops Mark off home, as Rebecca (in the past) meets a nerdy freshman called Mark and they bond in friendship.

All in all, a very well told story set in the amazing universe of Doctor Who. I could visualize the actors as well as the main characters and see the story unfold. Jonathan Morris has captured the feel of the DW universe and he's nailed it.

Writing Sci-Fi

It's not as easy as it looks, writers. Few people I come across always or nearly always say that science fiction has no plot or story arch, that it's just about weapons and technology, military vs aliens, spaceships and battles. Well I'm here to tell you and them that this is not the case.

Writing sci-fi has as much work as any other writing genre. Here are some tips below to help you plot it out. Even if you aren't writing sci-fi, this will still help; yes, that includes nonfiction novels too.

• Know you world: You are the author. It's your world and your story. Plot out the history of the world/universe. What nations/empires/republics/colonies are there? Who are the people? What's their history? Detailed outlines (though not too detailed [this leaves some room for creativity]) help you keep the history of your world/universe in check. Not only is this a benefit to you, the author, but it help to ensure that you never (almost never) contradict yourself. Some world building is nice, but don't spend the whole novel on it.
• Plot it out: Plot out the events of your story using what I call the skewed pyramid*. This helps to ensure that you stay on track and don't wander off to explain every little detail about your world/universe. You're not David Weber or John Ringo. If the scene works by adding in some detail of your world, such as an important battle, reference it, don't spell the whole thing out.
• Are weapons and technology necessary?: Of course they're necessary. It hints at the universe/world around your book. If it has contemporary technology, then the reader knows it's set around the current era of humanity. If it has unheard of technology, it's the future.

Mar'ahli history and culture

The Mar'ahli warriors have been in existence on Crandox (CRANdosh) since its beginning in the dark ages (before civilization). They waged war on numerous being and settlers seeking to take their land away. For 5,000,000,000 years, the Mar'ahli race fought for their ideals and principles.

Origninally, the chitinous warriors and peoples were farmers and ruled under a caste system. The caste system had one leader. The leader would only have one designation (i.e. 1, 2, A, B). Successors were named a thousand years in advance. Sex does not figure into the cast system. One can be male, female, of even hermaphroditic. The first Mar'ahli leader was hermaphroditic; the leader was called "O" and was the first to lead them into a fight to protect the Mar'ahli grounds. The names for the leaders are chosen at random, some from a favorite drawing (for O, it was a circle that inspired its leadership), favorite number, even how many offspring they have. Mar'ahli can have up to nine offspring.

If the offspring do not wish to become warriors, they are not scorned or disavowed from the families, like other races on Crandox do. Instead, the Mar'ahli encourage their offspring to take up any field they are drawn to. Most offspring take up the Warrior way, but some have taken up paths of Artists, Farmers, Hunters, Builders. Only ten have taken up the title of Historian. Oral traditions are a way of preserving their history. They do not forbid writing them down. When a Historian is about to die and there is no successor at the present time, the histories of battles, way of life, code are written down for the next Historian and are preserved, even if it takes millennia for a new Historian to take the mantle.

The lifespan of a typical Mar'ahli is 5,000 years. They are bipedal, 8 feet in height, bulky chitinous skin, two arm, two legs that bend backwards and forwards, as well as side-to-side, allowing them to be extremely flexible during combative engagements.

Mar'ahli make bonds over time. If a friend is killed during their presence, the Mar'ahli is held responsible unless they have tried everything to save them. It is rare that a Mar'ahli looses their control and lash out. Be warned, though, that it can happen under the most extenuating circumstances.

Caste System is as follows:
Leader--there is only one leader. The Leader is responsible for the Mar'ahli race as a whole.
Historian--rare. Teaches the oral traditions of the past and may preach wisdom to the Leader if the Leader is believed to be acting against the Mar'ahli way.
Builders--they build buildings, weapons, farming tools, armor, equipment. You name it, they build it.
Warriors--they are the protectors of the race. They are under the direct control of the Leader and respond only to him, unless his/her/its actions are deemed unacceptable by the race as a whole.
Farmers--are responsible for the food, harvest, livestock.
Hunters--they hunt for meat. Can be used as scouts and bounty hunters.
Civilians--the civilization of the Mar'ahli
Artists--painters, art, dances, culture are their way.

The Mar'ahli Code of Honor is as follows:
1) If an enemy is too close to death, or if a comrade is too close to death, finish him quickly, saying "I'm sorry for your loss."
2) Unless you are provoked, do not become confrontative
3) Children are not to be harmed. Unless the child is the one wielding a weapon, do not take action
4) If you stumble across an orphan from an enemy, and their are no survivors, you must take them and raise them as your own.
5) Slavery is inexcusible. If you have a slave, you will be executed
6) Your comrades are your responsibility. Treat them well.
7) Do not take offense at any profession your offspring or an enemies offspring choose.
8) Fighting is not always the answer. If there is a peaceful way to achieve victory, it must be tried before war can begin.
9) [For Leaders only] Always name a successor. You never know when you might be the last warrior/leader.

The Last Great Battle

1,100 years before the war between Rulnudor and Libertia (LIEbertSCHA) began, the Mar'ahli were fighting the human population of Crandox over survival. The humans, xenophobic of the Mar'ahli and believing them to be nothing but insects and butchers, decided to exterminate them. The humans launched an all out provoking strike at the heart of the Mar'ahli race, their Historian.

The Historian was writing down all her knowledge at the time. Before she completed her task, humans barged in and shot her to death multiple times, reducing her to a pile of ash. They set fire to her home, destroying all she had written. Little did the humans know that the Historian made an oral recording of the history and teachings of the Mar'ahli race.

The Leader and a select few who traveled with him discovered her remains. Angered at the death of his beloved, the Leader declared war on the humans. Breaking the Code of Honor, the Leader led the Warriors into battle. They met the humans on the plains of what is now Calassa and exterminated the settlement there. The humans launched a campaign against the Warriors, meeting them on the field and fought.

100 years of war raged as the Mar'ahli beat back the humans again, time after time. Only twelve times did the human race win. During one of the engagements, the Leader struck down an unarmed group of children. He was alone. Faced with the possibility of someone finding out about his actions, and overcome with grief at his desecration of the Code of Honor, the Leader chose a young warrior and named him his successor. During a ritual, the Leader declared to his Warriors that the young warrior was his chosen successor. Mesmerized by a human character, the young warrior was about to take his name when the humans launched a surprise attack.

The fighting raged for hours, during which the Leader was injured. Overwhelming the Mar'ahli, the humans backed them into The Valley of Peace and bombarded them to death. With the Leader dead, the young successor tried to rally the Warriors to safety, but they were all massacred. Fires raged for months as the once luscious valley was turned into the most unlivable desert in the South-Western region of Crandox.

During the fire, a backlash occured killing most of the human warriors, injuring others. Overnight, the Mar'ahli race disappeared from the face of Crandox. For the next thousand years, the Mar'ahli race traveled in secret to the Valley of Peace, looked upon the ashes of their protectors and the Leader and began to rebuild in secret. In the center of their new town, was a pillar of rock bearing the human letter "Q". The Builders used advanced technology to block the buildings and beings from being scanned by the human satellites. For the next thousand years, they rebuilt their lost civilization.

Little did anyone realize, that days before the arrival of the Mar'ahli race, the young successor survived and carved his name into a pillar of rock. Naming and declaring himself the new Leader. Despite all evidence, all persistence by the Hunters, there was no trace to be found of the young Leader now called Q. The Mar'ahli believe that Q is still out there, waiting, biding his time before his return. Few Mar'ahli believe that he perished with the Warriors, and that they are without both a Historian and a Leader for the first time in history. Only three injured Warriors who did not partake in the final battle believe he has joined with the humans as a slave. Little do they realize how close they are to the truth about Q. No one, though, would find out about Q for the next 1000 years.